Once Upon a Demigod
by fairytalendings
Summary: Annabeth Chase has always thought she was a regular girl. But when she was twelve, she is forced to flee from her home into the unknown world. AU
1. Introduction

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series._

 _This story was mainly inspired by the Lunar Chronicles. I always loved reading the twisted versions of classic fairytales like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. So I became inspired to write a version of Snow White, my all-time favorite fairytale. And here it is! The demigod version of Snow White._

 _The posting schedule for this fanfic (if its still incomplete when you read this) is on my profile. Thank you for reading!_

 _-R.C. (Rosie Crescent aka fairytalendings)_

 **Introduction**

 **-o-**

All Annabeth Chase knew about her mother was that she left Annabeth's father right after her child was born. Whenever Annabeth tried talking to her father about her mother, her father always shook his head, and his mouth always formed a hard line. After a couple years of trying, she learned that when people evaded certain topics for years, it meant that they'd rather not talk about it.

Besides having no mother, Annabeth had an inspirational, caring, warm father. Knowing it was hard growing up without a mother, Annabeth's father, Frederick, did his best to fill in the positions of father _and_ mother. He tried to always be there for his daughter, and, frankly, with her father, Annabeth felt like she didn't need a mother.

When Annabeth was five, her father remarried to a woman named Lydia. Lydia, though perhaps a good wife, was not a good stepmother. She had never wished for children, and the fact that her husband already had a daughter had made her reluctant of marrying him. She sometimes shunned Annabeth, ignoring everything her stepdaughter said or did. Or, Lydia was callous, snapping at everything Annabeth said, and scolding her for little things. But no matter what day it was, Lydia always treated her stepdaughter like a servant, making Annabeth cook, clean, do the laundry, or any chore she herself didn't want to do.

Of course, Frederick never noticed all this, being away on business trips or work very often. When he did chance to be home, Lydia always acted like a sweet, caring mother. Because she didn't want to bother her father, and because she could deal with it anyway, Annabeth never told her Frederick about the other side of her stepmother.

All throughout Annabeth's life, she told herself that her stepmother wasn't unbearable (after all, she wasn't physically abusive) and that once she went to college, she didn't wouldn't have to talk to her stepmother again if she didn't want to. As a result, her stepmother's words never once bothered Annabeth. As she got older, she grew happier at the prospects of college, and dreamed of studying architecture. How wonderful it would be if she could design something that she knew would last beyond her lifetime! She also imagined having a warm, cozy family, and vowed to treat her children like how Lydia never treated her. But when Annabeth was twelve, everything changed.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **-o-**

 **Annabeth**

Being twelve, there was only one more year until I graduated from middle school. I spent most of my time - weekends included - devoted to studying. Due to my dyslexia, I had a hard time reading material, so I spent my free time reading ahead, or finding out extra information so I could still be ahead of my class. This was exactly what I was doing in my room on this particular Saturday.

"Annabeth Chase!" Lydia yelled from downstairs. "Come down here right this minute!"

I sighed. "What now?" I asked myself. I hurried out of my room and quickly ran down the stairs. Racing into the kitchen, I saw Lydia standing behind the island counter, her hands crossed in front of her. Her eyebrows, obviously plucked and waxed with care, were in a deep frown.

You could say that Lydia was pretty, but that was only because of the makeup layered onto her face. Her face was fair and smooth, and her lips always were a light hue of pink. A thin line of eyeliner made her hazel eyes larger and sharper, and I could clearly see that she had curled and put mascara on her eyelashes. Normally, Lydia also curled her hair, and today was no exception. "Yes?" I inquired innocently.

Lydia scowled down at me, uncrossing her arms. "Do you know how long Frederick and I have been providing for you?" Relieved, I answered her. My dad had been raising me since I was born, Lydia for seven years. My stepmother always lectured me on this topic. She'd ask me that same question, then launch into an angry speech about how I didn't deserve all this, I was so ungrateful, blah blah blah. The first time she'd done it, I was scared she was going to abandon me (I was only six at that time), but I'd gotten used to it soon enough.

"Seven years," Lydia began. "Seven years. That's a long time, don't you think?"

"Yes," I replied monotonously. I couldn't help adding, "but I'll be going to college soon." Well, if you called six years 'soon.'

"College!" Lydia narrowed her eyes. "College! Another thing we have to pay for! Your father and I are not an endless source of money for you!" _Dad never complained about it,_ I thought defiantly. _He_ wants _me to go to college._ He himself had gone to Harvard on a full scholarship, and now he was the owner of a successful helicopter manufacturing company. He'd come up with a new design for helicopters that worked even better than other models. My dad was the one who encouraged her to persevere despite my ADHD and dyslexia. Both disorders set me behind a lot, but because of him, I was now a top student of my grade.

"I understand," I answered, not knowing what else to say.

"You do not," Lydia retorted. "For all fifteen years of your life, we've provided to your every needs. You need new school supplies? We bought them for you. New clothes? We bought them. We've fed you well. Do you know how much groceries cost? These are just some of the expenses you demand. Your father and I worked hard so you could have them. And now college? You expect us to pay tens of thousands of dollars so you can go to college?"

"Yes." Of course I did. Every parent pays at least some part of their children's college tuition. Common knowledge.

"Impertinence!" Lydia glared at me. "I tell you, I _will not_ pay for your college tuition. And neither will your father."

I slammed my hand down on the counter, looking at Lydia in the eye. I had never felt more enraged. Lydia started, and walked back two steps. "You really think you'll make him not pay? I don't think so. He'll pitch in some money for college no matter what _you_ say. Don't pretend you know him really well. Because you don't."

"Oh?" Lydia raised her eyebrows. She looked back at me calmly, which made me even angrier.

"Seven years!" I practically yelled. "For seven years I have lived in misery because of _you_. You've never loved me, or even tried to pretend you did. You made fun of me, treated me like a servant, and ignored me whenever you felt like it. I dealt with all this in silence, and my dad never knew. Well he will now! Whether you want it or not, my dad will know all about this the next time he comes home!" I finished my outburst, my heart pounding. It was the first time I had ever spoken to my stepmother like this. I didn't care what she was going to do to me. I felt _good_ , after all that I said. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my heart and mind. I knew that what Lydia did to me was not as bad as what some parents did, like physically abusing their kids. In fact, Lydia is far from physically abusing me. The worst she's ever done is make me go without dinner. But still, her treatment of me is definitely not to be described as motherly.

"You will do no such thing," Lydia said coolly. Her tone, though calm, screamed _watch out!_ I gulped, waiting for what would come next. Lydia lifted her hand and extended her finger, pointing it at me. Her manicured nails were long, resembling claws at this moment. "I will not allow you to."

And then she changed. I watched in horror, backing away, as Lydia screeched like some kind of demon. Her curled brown hair burst into bright orange flames, but surprisingly, the fire never burned her. Her nails became longer and dirtier, like actual claws. She put down her outstretched hand, and stepped around the counter. I stared at her in shock, hoping that this was just a nightmare, and I would soon wake up, panting and sweating, but safe. One of her legs was furry and grey, complete with a hoof instead of her foot. The other leg was made of a gold metal, and a bronze slipper encased her foot. Her outfit, a pink jacket and long jeans, was ruined. Patches of her clothes were burnt, and rips were scattered everywhere.

She smiled at me, but from the expression in her eyes, I knew that the last thing she wanted to do was to apologize for being a terrible mother. My eyes darted around the room, searching for anything I could use to protect myself, and the nearest door outside. Lydia, catching my eye movements, fixed me with a cold stare. "Try to run, and although I admit I will not be able to catch you, your father will be the one that suffers for you. Understand?" I nodded fearfully. _I won't run_ , I though to myself fiercely. _I will do whatever it takes to protect my dad._ Lydia, as if sensing my thoughts, smiled again at me.

From her coat pocket, Lydia took out a circular gold object which I guessed was a coin, which looked new. I could tell something was engraved on it, but I couldn't see what. Lydia rubbed her hand on its surface. Suddenly, the coin began to glow. I knew it wasn't just reflecting the light because the entire coin, sides included, shone brilliantly. I stared at it in surprise, trying to figure out how it was possible. "Luke Castellan and Thalia Grace," Lydia muttered. The coin glowed for a few more seconds, then the light faded away and disappeared.

I wished the light would come back, because it made me feel more courageous. Without it, I anxiously waited for what Lydia would do next.

To my surprise, Lydia merely pointed at the wooden kitchen table behind me. "Sit down, please," she said pleasantly. Suspiciously, I obeyed, but watched her closely, ready to move at a moment's notice. "You can stop looking at me," she told me as she took the seat across from mine. "I'm not going to hurt you. I swear it on the River Styx." I would have laughed in her face and told her that the 'River Styx' didn't exist and was just Greek mythology if it were a regular day. Also, I would've told her that swearing on a river wasn't going to convince me of anything. But my stepmother had just turned into some creature that I had never seen before, so I was just going to keep my mouth shut.

"Then what are you going to do to me?" I demanded, dreading the answer.

"Nothing, at the present," Lydia answered, obviously enjoying my tension. "Except asking you questions." True to her word, she spent the next couple minutes asking me questions like "did you ever know your mother?," or "have you ever seen anything unusual?" After a couple minutes, Lydia sighed and shook her head. "Just as I thought. You don't even know, and probably wouldn't ever, before I showed my true form. But what the Time Lord wants done needs to be done."

"Who's the Time Lord?" I asked curiously. I'd finally relaxed after the first couple questions, realizing she wasn't really going to do anything to me.

"Someone you do not need to concern yourself about," was Lydia's quick reply. She seemed to be thinking about something, so she didn't give much thought to my question.

"What are you?" I inquired again. Lydia's focus snapped back to me. She narrowed her eyes, giving me an expression that terrified me. I was about to apologize to her when she laughed, a high pitched noise.

"Me?" She shrieked, laughing. "I am an empousa, and I will be the queen of the earth once the Time Lord takes over. He will rule at Mount Olympus, and I shall rule below!" I started to rethink my thought that she wasn't going to do anything to me, when the doorbell rang. "Get that, Annabeth," Lydia ordered. I obeyed, rushing to the door. I opened it, hoping to find a stranger that could help me out of my situation, but I was dismayed to what I found.

A boy and a girl stood in front of me. They both looked older than me, the boy looking to be about college age, while the girl looked like a high schooler. The boy had sandy blond hair and blue eyes. He was tall and muscular, giving me a genuine, warm smile that made my heart flutter. He wore jeans that had smudges of dirt on them, and a grey jacket that read "New York City" in white letters. Strapped to his leather belt was a long sword, and I could see that one side of the blade was gold while the other was silver. The sword radiated something sinister, and I couldn't help feeling that the weapon was the opposite of Luke's expression. He shouldered a black backpack. The girl had shoulder-length raven black hair, and wore a black leather jacket. Buttons with band names on them were pinned to her jacket. Her jeans, also black, had rips at the knees. A silver bracelet decorated her wrist, and she was holding a long spear. "Um, hey," I stuttered. "Guessing Lydia called you here?"

"You must be Annabeth," the girl said. Her expression, though not encouraging, was not terrifying like Lydia's. "I'm Thalia, and this is Luke Castellan." Somehow, Lydia had called these two over using her coin.

"Hey!" Luke greeted me. Thalia then crouched down to my height, looking me in the eye.

"Don't be scared," she told me quietly. "No matter what you hear." I didn't know what to think. On one hand, both knew Lydia. On the other hand they both seemed benevolent. I looked up at Luke, who gave me a small nod.

"Bring them here!" Lydia yelled from the kitchen. Thalia got up, and Luke and Thalia exchanged a look. Gulping, I gestured for them to come in, shut the door, and led them to the kitchen, where Lydia was now standing in front of the counter. Clasping her hands together, she smiled. "Ah, Luke and Thalia! How glad I am to see you!"


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **-o-**

 **Annabeth**

"Lydia," Luke said, then knelt on one knee, bowing his head. Thalia followed his example, murmuring Lydia's name.

"Oh, you two flatter me. Stand!" Lydia, laughing lightly, was obviously pleased. Luke and Thalia both stood back up.

"How can we be of service to you?" Thalia asked. I noticed that both stood straight and stiff, their hands glued to their sides, unlike the relaxed postures I saw a few moments earlier.

"You have both met my stepdaughter Annabeth, correct?" Lydia didn't give them a chance to reply. "Nasty burden, she is. Oh well, it's one step closer to carrying out Lord Kronos's plan." I gave a start. _Kronos_? The evil Titan from Greek myths? _Lord Kronos. The Lord of Time. The Time Lord._ The puzzle pieces were starting to fit together, but it still didn't make sense.

"You serve a guy from mythology?" I blurted out. The attention of all three people in the room swerved to me.

"He is not a myth," Lydia spat. She wrinkled her nose. "Although I suppose you would think that, since you don't know yet."

"Know what?" I asked. "What don't I know?"

"Nothing," Lydia replied casually. I huffed. My curiosity had increased tenfold. I just _had_ to know what I didn't! "Continuing on. Well, Lord Kronos has decided that Annabeth is a threat. To be honest, Lord Kronos does not trust you two as much as I, so he would like you to prove your loyalty. Dispose of her."

"I'm not a threat!" I cried immediately. I started to shake. _Dispose of me_? That didn't sound friendly. "I don't even know who Lord Kronos is! I don't know what you're talking about! I can't be a threat!" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke and Thalia looking at me sympathetically.

"Oh, but you are," Lydia snarled. "That's enough. Take her away."

" _No!_ " I screamed, as Luke and Thalia each grabbed my arms. I struggled, flinging my arms and legs. "I'm not a threat! _I'm not a threat!_ " Lydia just stood there, smiling at my fear.

"Remember, Annabeth, fail to cooperate, and you father will be the one that suffers," Lydia cautioned, wiggling her index finger at me. With those words being said, I immediately stopped struggling, and submissively let myself be pulled outside.

Once outside, Luke and Thalia tightened their grip on my arms. They could have let go of me entirely, and I would've stayed with them. I would _not_ let Lydia hurt my dad.

We walked a few minutes to a deserted area of the wood like area that is next to our home. My dad wanted to live in a quieter part of New York, so he built his estate in an untouched area of the state. The nearest town, where I go to school, is a twenty minute drive away. Even if I screamed, nobody would hear me. I kept my head down, trying to think of a way to escape my fate. I could fake my death, but how could I do that with Luke and Thalia holding my arms?

"Alright, here is good." Thalia announced. We had come to a clearing in the dense trees. Luke and Thalia both let go of me and walked around to face me. I shuddered. I doubted I could run faster than the both of them, and plus, Thalia looked like she was an expert at throwing her spear. Besides, where would I go? I was probably going to get lost in the woods and Thalia and Luke would have caught up to me by then. I couldn't go back to the house, either. It was too late to do anything now.

"Make it quick," I told them, and closed my eyes. I heard the clink of Luke's sword and thought of my happiest memories. Like when I found out I was the top student of my grade, and Dad and I went out for ice cream. _You'll always be my number one,_ I heard his voice say in my head. _I love you Dad_.

"You can open your eyes now," I heard Luke's voice say. "We're not _actually_ going to kill you." I opened my eyes slightly, just to make sure it wasn't a trick. I didn't need to be cautious. Luke was leaning on his sword, which he had stabbed into the ground, point down. Thalia's spear had been placed into the ground likewise. Convinced that the two wouldn't hurt me, at least for the present, I opened my eyes fully.

"Why?" I asked them. "I thought you serve Lydia."

"Not exactly." Luke smirked. "We're actually spies. We work for the gods, but currently we're working undercover to check on Kronos and his army's progress."

"Wait, Kronos is just like a nickname or something, right? He's not actually the Kronos from Greek mythology?" Thousands of questions, not just that one, swam in my head just from Luke's three sentences. I decided not to overwhelm them and instead held back.

Luke and Thalia shared a look. "Hey, Annabeth, um, let's talk for a while," Thalia said, and I had a feeling what my answer was.

"Wait, what?" I backed up, hands in front of me in a _stop_ gesture. "You're telling me that _Lord Kronos_ , the guy who hacked his dad to pieces, is _real_?"

"First, it wasn't just him that killed his dad. And second, we're really sorry you have to learn about it this way." Luke bowed his head, scratching the back of his neck. His other hand was shoved in his jean pocket. "But, um, not just Kronos exists. All of Greek mythology is real. The gods and their powers. Monsters. That's all real."

I stared at them both, shock and questions filling my mind. How was that possible? How come I never knew? And why was I caught up in this? "And sometimes," Luke continued, "the gods come down here to the mortal world. They fall in love with mortals, and have children with them. That's how demigods are created. You're one. Me and Thalia are too. I'm a son of Hermes, and Thalia's a daughter of Zeus. You, I'm guessing by the color of your eyes, are a daughter of Athena."

"Prove it," I demanded, crossing my arms. "I won't entirely believe you unless you do." Even though I had a feeling that they were right, there was still a part of me that refused to trust what they said. How could I? By doing so, I was leaving my old life and stepping into an unknown one.

"Sure thing," Thalia chimed in before Luke could answer. "Let me show you a little something." She pulled her spear out of the dirt, only to place it on the ground again, but this time point up. Tilting her head up, I saw Thalia close her eyes. And then lightning struck. Literally.

I couldn't believe my eyes. A bolt of lightning connected the tip of Thalia's spear to the sky. It blazed with a dark purple hue, and even Luke looked awed. Amazed, I stepped back a step, feeling its electricity humming in front of me. Thalia opened her eyes, smiling at me. To my disappointment, the lightning bolt immediately vanished. "Believe me now?" Thalia asked me, with a smug _I told you so_ grin on her face.

I took a deep breath. Like it or not, I had to face the truth. My old life was gone.

"Yes."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **-o-**

 **Annabeth**

"Great, now we can continue with the plan," Thalia enthusiastically announced, giving Luke a big thumbs up. "Luke will explain. I'll answer questions."

"Okay, so Thalia's going to go back to Lydia-" Luke began, but I obstructed his sentence.

"What?" I panicked, my eyes darting from Luke to Thalia. "You're leaving?"

"Chill." Thalia winked at me. "Luke is coming with you."

"Thalia's going to Lydia or else she'll get suspicious. She'll explain my disappearance, and assure Lydia that you're dead," Luke continued calmly.

"What's your excuse?" I asked Luke worriedly. You couldn't be too neurotic in situations like this.

"His excuse is that he got called away by Chiron - you'll meet him soon - for something important, and it'll be weird if he doesn't go," Thalia answered for the boy. "I'm a very smooth liar. I can make up stuff on the spot and remember them later. Don't worry."

"Me too." Luke smirked. "Since I'm a son of Hermes, I'm good at this kind of stuff. Which is why I was chosen as a spy. I'm a sneak."

"That's nice," I told him, frowning. What kind of person hired liars to spy for them? Could I even trust them?

"Hey, stop worrying," Thalia told me encouragingly. "We're just poking a little fun, okay? We're trying to get you to lighten up. We're really good at what we do. We'll keep you safe." I nodded, and Luke continued on.

"Meanwhile, I'll be taking you to a safe place. I promise that you will be safe there."

"Where is it?"

"Long Island," Luke replied patiently.

"That's a really long way off." I looked at the pair skeptically. Long Island was at the southern part of New York. We, on the other hand, were not. "It'll take forever to walk there."

"Walk?" Luke laughed. "Of course not! Do you think we're crazy? No, we're going walk parts of it, and for the rest, we'll take a combination of the bus, the subway, and a taxi."

"You've already got the route planned?"

"Every little bit of it," Thalia said proudly. "It's pretty much untraceable. We've been planning your escape for months."

"Um, one question," I said hesitantly. Thalia nodded at me to continue. "Um, could you, uh, make sure my dad is safe?" This was the one thing I did not want to obliterate. My dad was the one I loved the most. Nobody could ever replace him.

"Your dad will be fine," Thalia said solemnly. "I swear on the River Styx that I will do everything in my power to protect him."

I looked at Luke and Thalia, a smile growing on my face despite the circumstances. A new adventure was coming for me. A new chapter in my life coming. "Well, let's get going!"

 **Luke**

We had been walking through the woods for about two hours. Annabeth, surprisingly, was still keeping up with my fast pace. I worried about what would happen if Lydia suspected our escape. I could handle a few monsters, but what if Lydia sent more than 'just a few?' I probably couldn't protect Annabeth then. Which reminded me….

"Oh, I forgot to give you something!" I smacked my forehead and halted abruptly. I pulled a knife from my belt. It was from Halcyon Green, a person I could never forget. He had sacrificed his life in order to save us from a fate he had cast on us. When he gave me the knife, he told me it was rumored that the blade would always protect its wielder. I handed the knife to Annabeth, grinning at her amazed expression.

"Is that real gold?" Annabeth gazed at the golden hue the blade of the knife seemed to have, wide eyed.

"Oh, no." I shook my head. "It's celestial bronze. It's one of the only metals that can harm monsters and gods. It won't harm mortals at all because they're not worth harming. Only the fastest and cleverest of warriors can wield weapons like this. I can tell you'll be a _very_ fast and _very_ clever fighter." Annabeth took the knife and ducked her head from the praise. She looked up again, glancing at me with her grey eyes. I was taken aback by the amount of wisdom they seemed to hold.

"Will you teach me?" Annabeth's voice came out softly, almost like a whisper.

"Of course," I answered, then crouched down to her height. "I'll always be there for you, okay? I swear it on the River Styx. You need people to lean on, you know? You need the support the most."

"Thank you," Annabeth turned red again. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I want every demigod to have a home," I answered, thinking of a few. Like Ethan Nakamura, who was all alone, even though he had come to camp like the rest of us. And like me, the boy whose mom went mad and whose dad wouldn't help out too much. I'm still a little boy in my heart, who wishes he could run to his mom and dad for comfort. Yeah, I said it. Everyone, no matter who they are, will always wish for parents to lean on.

"Oh," Annabeth said, as if sensing my thoughts. "Parent troubles?"

"Yeah," I said, but I didn't elaborate. "I don't want to talk about it. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just…" I trailed off. Because I didn't want anybody's pity? Because then people wouldn't think of me as the best swordsman the Camp had ever seen? "Only Thalia and the guy at the Camp I'm taking you to knows," I finished lamely. Annabeth's faced remained expressionless as she nodded.

"We should get moving." Annabeth glanced behind us, as if afraid that Lydia could appear at any moment. Agreeing, I stood, thankful for the subject change.

"Okay then, Annie." Ahead of me, Annabeth froze and turned. She leveled an intense glare at me.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped.

"Sure, Annie," I gave her a playful shove, trying to lighten her up. Seriously, the kid was giving off the most stressed vibes I'd ever seen, even before she'd realized what Lydia really was. I'd know. Both my original boss and Lydia had asked me to keep an eye on her. This recent turn of events surely would have made her even more upset.

She scowled again, and kept on marching forward.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **-o-**

 **Annabeth**

Finally, _finally,_ we were out of the woods.

After hours of walking, I never wanted to see a single tree again in my life. Or grass. Or the ground, for that matter.

We were now in a small town. The buildings might have once been brightly colored, but they were now faded and worn. The backs of almost all the signs were all graffitied to the point that one piece of writing was directly on top of another. Despite its unpolished look, it seemed to be a very busy town. A multitude of cars whizzed by us as we trudged along the sidewalk.

I glanced at Luke. He slouched and walked with his hands slipped between his shoulders and his backpack strap.

"Do you need help carrying that?" I reached over and lifted the backpack up a little by its bottom. "This is really heavy."

"No, it's fine," Luke replied, and stood up straighter. "We don't have to go much further."

"Are you sure?" I kind of felt guilty that he was doing all the hard work while I just had to walk and follow him. "I might look like I'm weak, or maybe you feel sorry for me or something, but I can handle it, you know…"

"No, really," Luke insisted. "It's fine."

"Sure." I shrugged. He'd learn, soon enough, that it was better to let me share the work. "So where are we going now?"

"Bus stop. You can see it now, up ahead." True to his word, I could see the tiny outline of a green bench with a sign next to it on the curb ahead. "There's a mini Walmart there, too. I planned to stock up on supplies here."

I nodded, spotting a small, white building. Well, small compared to the other gigantic Walmart stores I'd seen before. Surrounded by the tiny, old buildings wedged together in the streets, the tall, white, pristine store looked like a castle.

"Well," I said, "hope they have chocolate chip cookies.

 **Luke**

As soon as we walked into the store, Annabeth was all business. "We don't have _any_ food at all, do we?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "Couldn't pack anything or else Lydia would get suspicious."

"Alright, then. I'll get the food and water. How much do I need to buy?"

"Umm, let me see…" I trailed off, thinking deeply. The bus ride would take a couple hours. It would be night by the time we got off. Then we'd have to take a series of taxis to Montauk, which would probably take about three more days, especially since we'd be staying at various inns I'd booked. And finally, it would take us another half of a day to walk to Camp Half-Blood. And this was assuming we wouldn't be sidetracked by monster attacks. "Five days, but not including dinners. Get extra, though. Just in case."

"Including today's meals?" Annabeth asked. I nodded.

"I'll be getting the rest of the supplies. Let's get moving. I don't want to spend too much time here." With a nod, Annabeth walked off towards the foods section.

Sighing, I wished I could somehow produce a magic wand, wave it in the air, and make Annabeth's life better. Since she never knew she was a demigod until today, I figured that she didn't really grow up with a mother around her at all. I doubted Lydia ever said anything to her other than insults and scoldings. I could relate. I'd grown up half knowing my father, Hermes, and half not. I guess the day I met him, I'd expected him to visit me more like a real father would. Like the other kid's dads, who played baseball with them. I was wrong. And then, of course, my mother had her issue with the whole Oracle thing. You could say that my childhood was a nightmare, but it was nothing compared to Annabeth's.

 _Let's get moving_ , I thought to myself, and made my legs shuffle along to the nearest aisle.

After gathering up some supplies (I'll spare you a long and hefty list), I found Annabeth waiting for me in front of the first (and only) checkout lane. This was, by far, the smallest Walmart I'd ever seen, with a small corner for the grocery section, and shelves that weren't as long as I remembered the shelves at other stores were. And, of course, there was the matter of the single checkout lane.

I would have been worried about a long line, if it weren't for the fact that the store seemed so empty. So quiet. There was not a single person in the store except for the cashier, who, I guessed, was also the manager of the store, after looking at his name tag, which read 'Mitchell,' and then the plaque on the shelf next to him.

"Good afternoon," the man greeted, sounding bored. Despite the cold, he wore a dark blue t-shirt, with a light green Walmart vest on top. He had dark hair. He looked to be in his mid thirties, and had a tired expression in his eyes.

"Good afternoon," I replied flippantly. _Act like you have a purpose,_ I thought. Even though I knew that the man was probably not in league with Lydia and Kronos, a feeling of nervousness still fluttered in my stomach. "How are you today, sir?"

Mitchell looked up in surprise, in the middle of scanning our items. The surprise faded quickly. "I don't get that too often. I'm fine, except for the fact I'd rather be spending time with my wife and my kids than working."

"Tough work schedule, huh?"

"Yeah," Mitchell sighed. "This why I hate living in a small town. The 'Now Hiring' sign has been up for almost a year now."

A feeling of pity replaced my nervousness. "Wow," I couldn't help saying. "I guess I've never really experienced hard times yet."

Mitchell sighed again. "You're way too - er, too young to have experienced anything like that," he agreed, but I saw something flash in his eyes. Pain? Sorrow? _You have no idea what I've gone through_ , I thought. "Swipe and sign, please," he said, gesturing to the tiny screen in front of me.

I looked over the amount of payment due. I owed about a hundred dollars, but that wasn't surprising, given the fact that we bought _a lot_ of stuff.

"Do we have that much money?" Annabeth whispered beside me.

"Of course we do," I whispered back. "I'm more than prepared." I reached into the back pocket of my jeans and pulled out a black wallet. Upon opening it, I reached into one of the slots and pulled out a golden debit card that read 'Drachmas Express.'

"Is that even a real company?" Annabeth muttered. "I don't want to cheat the store."

"It's very real," I promised. Quickly, I swiped the card without letting Mitchell take a long look at it. Fortunately, his gaze was on Annabeth instead of the card.

"This your daughter?" he asked suspiciously, as I put the card back into my wallet. He tensed up, probably wondering how a guy my age would have a daughter that old.

"No!" I sputtered, nearly dropping my wallet. Annabeth snickered next to me. "She's my…my…" For once, my tongue was tied.

"His cousin," Annabeth said for me. "I'm his cousin." It wasn't far off. After all, Hermes and Athena _were_ half-siblings. So technically, Annabeth and I were more or less cousins.

"Oh," Mitchell relaxed. "Sorry, bud."

I shrugged in reply, my composure regained.

"You need a bag?" Mitchell asked, eyes roving over all the things we'd just bought.

"Nah." I shook my head. "But we do need scissors. We need to use this stuff right away. Camping trip," I added when Mitchell took on a suspicious expression again. He handed over a pair of scissors without another question. "You're going to have to carry a backpack, too," I told Annabeth. I reached into my backpack and pulled out a smaller pack. "Pack as much as you can in here." She nodded, taking the backpack and doing as I told her to.

Mitchell continued on surfing on his computer, giving us no more acknowledgement, except for a quick nod when we handed back his scissors.

"All set?" I asked Annabeth as we both shouldered on our backpacks. She nodded, her jaw set in determination. _I gotta ask my half-siblings to loosen her up_ , I thought sadly, catching the tired, depressed, wild look in her eyes. I'd had worn that look once too, and it didn't bode well for me. I didn't tell her that, of course. Instead, I announced, "Great. We'll go wait for the bus then - " _Crack!_ The sound of something heavy slamming against the door to Walmart echoed in the room, followed by the sound of glass shattering and raining onto the floor.

Instantly, my body snapped awake. Every muscle in my system twitched, not in nervousness, but in readiness, itching to be in action. Quickly, I unzipped my backpack and pulled out my sword.

Mitchell's head jerked up, his eyes alert, but surprisingly unafraid. "Get down," he ordered us.

"What's happening?" Annabeth cried, and she pulled her knife out of the front pocket of her backpack. Mitchell's gaze darted to it, then to the sword I'd just pulled out of my own backpack.

"I should have known," he grunted. "You two are demigods, aren't you?"

"Of course we are. You got a weapon?"

"Sure do," Mitchell said, pulling out a bronze bow and a pouch of arrows from a cabinet in the checkout counter. "Son of Apollo. You?"

"Hermes," I said, then gestured to Annabeth. "Athena. I hate to break it to you, but we don't have time for formal introductions. We need to be ready for this monster."

"Right," Mitchell said, then stepped around the counter, bow and arrows ready. "I'll stand behind you." I nodded, and dropped my backpack. Annabeth copied me.

"You're staying with Mitchell," I told her. "You're too inexperienced."

"But - "

"No buts," I cut her off. "My mission is to get you to camp, _alive_ , and that means that I can't put you into danger."

"Fine," she grumbled. "Stay safe." With that, she joined Mitchell, stomping off to the back.

"Don't worry," I heard him say. "I get attacks here all the time. It'll probably be something easy, like a hellhound or something."

I didn't hear Annabeth's reply, because the sound of glass shattering sounded again, and a roar filled the store, followed by the thumps of feet on the floor.

I got a glimpse of what I was facing, and immediately, I wished that I had Thalia with me. The creature had a human face with long, shaggy hair, and a beard. One eye was blue, while the other was brown, while its beard matched the color of the latter. It had the body of a muscular lion, and a long tail with sharp pincers at the end. I happened to know that the tail also shot out poisonous spikes. The monster snarled, showing its sharp teeth, ready to tear me apart instantaneously.

I was about to face my first manticore. Fun.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

 **-o-**

 **Annabeth**

Instinctively, I screamed as I saw the monster charge at Luke.

"Don't make a sound, Annabeth!" He yelled as he fended off the attack in a fast flurry of slashes with his sword. "Don't draw his attention to you!"

Monster and demigod dueled, and, unable to help it, I marveled at the way both opponents moved with a sort of graceful, deadly precision. A dance of death.

Meanwhile, besides me, Mitchell nocked an arrow in his bow and took aim, but didn't release the arrow.

"What's that creature?" I asked.

"A manticore," he said, his eyes still following Luke and the creature. "Its tail shoots out poisonous spikes. See?" At that moment, the manticore's tail whipped forwards and, like Mitchell said, three spikes shot out from it. Luke dodged to the right, and the spikes impaled themselves onto the wall far behind him with a _clang_.

Roaring with fury, the manticore rose up on its hind legs, exposing its underbelly. _Whoosh!_ Mitchell let go of his arrow, but not bothering to see it bury itself in the center of the manticore's stomach. He was quickly reaching for another arrow, and taking aim again.

I stared in disbelief as the manticore charged again, blood dripping from his underside. "But you shot him!"

"Manticores can take multiple fatal injuries," Mitchell replied grimly. "That's part of why they're so hard to fight."

The manticore slashed forwards again, but this time, Luke didn't move fast enough to dodge the spikes. One was close enough to create a deep gash on his arm, but not enough to impale him. From the look of extreme pain on his face, Luke wasn't going to be able to last much longer.

"And, manticore spikes are poisonous, so even one really teeny tiny injury hurts _a lot_ ," Mitchell added.

To my surprise, Luke's expression changed from pain to determination as he raised his sword again. Fortunately, the cut was on his other arm. But, I could see his movements becoming more desperate and wild. He was losing his concentration, and the precision that I had seen was gone.

Mitchell must have seen the change, too, because he let loose another arrow, which buried itself right between the manticore's eyes.

"Wow," I gaped at Mitchell. "You're good."

Mitchell took his eyes off the manticore long enough to give me a wink. "Son of Apollo right here."

But despite the second wound the manticore received, it seemed to be gaining on Luke. Its tail sent out another round of spikes, and this time, Luke wasn't so fortunate.

I screamed as a spike impaled his sword arm. Luke's eyes became unfocused in pain as he dropped his sword to the ground. He backed into one of the shelves, clutching his wound. The manticore approached, his back turned. Mitchell shot out another arrow, which buried itself on the manticore's side, but didn't seem to hurt it.

Luke was a goner.

His sword was out of his reach, the manticore was approaching him, and Mitchell's arrows didn't damage the manticore at all. I never felt so helpless in my life. If only I could help….

Wait. I could. The manticore had his back to us at the moment, still focused on his prey. If I took advantage of that, could I succeed? I drew my knife from my belt.

"Mitchell, I'm going to help him," I told him, but didn't wait for an answer. I ran towards the manticore, ignoring Mitchell's panicked yells from behind me.

The manticore didn't notice, still focused on Luke. It slashed his claws at him, but luckily, Luke still had enough strength to dodge. The manticore lowered itself onto its hind legs. It was about to pounce. But so was I.

I leapt, and as I did so, I saw Luke's eyes widen at the sight of me. I yelled defiantly, plunging my knife onto the backside of the manticore.

For the first time, the manticore roared in pain, rising up on its hind legs and trying to throw me off.

"Hang on, Annabeth!" Luke shouted. He crawled to where his sword lay. _You're too weak to do anything_ , I thought furiously, but Luke wasn't about to engage the manticore in another round of sword fighting. His face screwed in concentration, he hefted the sword in his hand, and I understood what he was about to do. I pressed harder down onto my knife as Luke threw his sword like a spear.

At the same time, Mitchell loosened another arrow, which, of course, made its mark on the manticore's back right behind me. The combination of the wounds made the monster screech one last time, and then it dissolve into dust, which, at that point, I wasn't too surprised to see. I mean, I'd just found out my mom was a goddess, and I'd seen a human-headed lion who shot poisonous spikes with its tail. I wasn't too surprised to see that killing a manticore meant that it dissolved into dust, either.

I fell to the floor, landing hard on my bottom. Wincing, I stood up, and made my way to Luke, sheathing my knife as I did so.

He lay on the floor, unconscious, the last of his energy gone from throwing the sword. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and the two wounds on his arms dripped blood. I heard the sound of Mitchell running towards us, and he knelt besides Luke, clutching a bottle containing a golden liquid.

Carefully, he poured some of the the liquid into Luke's mouth.

"Ambrosia," he said, seeing my curious expression. "It has healing properties." Then, he gestured to the cuts on his arms. "I have to make a poultice for the poisoned wounds, though. Stay by Luke."

"Okay," I said. I stared at Luke's wounds, and his closed eyes. I didn't understand. If he knew how hard it was to kill a manticore, why did he do it? How come he was willing to sacrifice his life to bring it down?

And above all, he was willing to sacrifice his life for _me_. The girl, no, _demigod_ he'd just met. A warm feeling settled in my stomach as I thought about it. "I will protect you with my life," I whispered. "I swear it."

And I meant it. Because never before in my life, had somebody cared this much about me, besides my dad.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **-o-**

 **Luke**

When I gained consciousness, I was met with the sound of quiet breathing. Cautiously, I opened my eyes a crack, wincing as bright light flooded my vision. Slowly, I pried my eyes open until I could take in my surroundings.

I was still in the small Walmart. It was sunrise; I could tell by the orange and pink sky beyond the door. Somebody had wrapped me inside a sleeping bag. I moved my arms to find a sudden, dull pain in them, and yesterday's events resurfaced.

I remembered the manticore, and pain in both my arms. I remembered Annabeth riding on top of it, her knife plunged into its back. I remembered throwing my sword. And then I remembered blacking out.

"Annabeth!" I jerked upright, looking left and right. Where was she? Then, I spotted her, and I relaxed. She was slumped, leaning on a shelf, fast asleep. My sword lay sprawled on the floor next to her, and her hand was on her knife, which was safely sheathed in her belt. She was safe.

Mitchell was next to her, and I knew that it was him who had healed me. A bottle of ambrosia was next to him, along with a clear container of a neutral colored salve. "Thanks, Mitchell," I muttered, even though he couldn't hear me. I felt guilty that I hadn't thought of him immediately, like I had Annabeth.

I unzipped my sleeping bag and stood up. I didn't dare wake up the pair; I knew that they must have stayed up all night to make sure my wounds were treated. Quietly, I walked to the back of the store, walking up and down the aisles. With my inherent ADHD, I wouldn't have lasted long just sitting in my sleeping bag. It was good practice, anyway, since I tried walking without a sound. Like the spy I was.

* * *

 **Annabeth**

When I woke up, I immediately jerked up to a normal sitting position and looked at the sleeping bag Luke was in.

Er, where he was supposed to be in. He was gone.

"Luke!" I yelled loudly. Mitchell gave a start and awoke.

"What?" He asked, eyes darting around wildly. "Another monster?"

"No," I said, panicking. I pointed a shaking finger at Luke's unzipped sleeping bag. "He's gone!"

"Oh, is that all?" Mitchell asked, relaxing. "He didn't leave."

"How are you sure?" I demanded. "It sure looks like he left."

"Hey, why the lack of trust?" a familiar masculine voice said from behind me. I screamed, turning around, and ignoring the amused expressions of both demigods. "Luke! Don't ever leave like that!" The smirk on his face was so irritating. Did he know how terrified

I was that he would just abandon me? Maybe he just thought I was too much of a burden, for all I knew.

And then I slapped him.

There was a silence as both Luke and Mitchell stared at me in disbelief. Luke put a hand on the red welt on his cheek, blinking at me. I swallowed, a lump in my throat growing.

"S-sorry," I stammered. "I guess I went a little too far."

Suddenly, a smile spread on Luke's face. "Well, I'm not worried about you anymore," he joked. "You're going to be a great fighter."

"Oh." I breathed out, relieved. "Thanks."

"But, anyway, sorry," Luke apologized. "I probably scared the life out of you."

I put my hands on my hips. "You sure did."

We chattered throughout breakfast, eating complimentary bagels and cream cheese ("You have to save your supplies," Mitchell had said). Luke and I told Mitchell our stories, with me starting off with the mysterious disappearance of my mother, and ending with the walk to Mitchell's Walmart.

"Wow," Mitchell remarked. "you lived with an empousa for seven years, and you never found out? She never even _tried_ to kill you and eat you?"

"Nope," I confirmed flippantly, as if I were talking about normal topics like shopping. "Is that weird?"

"Yeah." Mitchell nodded. "Empousa love to feast on blood. Preferably demigod blood. They're the vampires of Greek myths. So the fact that she resisted sucking yours for seven years is incredible. It's like someone putting bacon in front of you, and you can't eat it for seven years."

"Mm, the pull of bacon is too hard to resist," Luke agreed. "Bacon is amazing."

"Have you tried it fried with vegetables? Not _that's_ what I call incredible!"

"Really?"

Mitchell leaned in closer, as if he were about to share a very important secret. "It's my mom's recipe. The secret is to add more butter."

I rolled my eyes. "Aside from how to cook bacon, maybe it's because Lydia was working for somebody? That somebody told her not to kill me, right? The day I was supposed to be killed, she mentioned working for a Time Lord or something like that. What does he do, sell clocks?" I tried to lighten the seriousness of the phrase, "the day I was supposed to be killed," with a joke.

"Oh, right." Luke's expression changed from smiling to serious. Obviously, my joke didn't work. "Lydia's boss is even worse. It's _Him_."

" _Him_?" Mitchell's eyes grew wide. "You mean… _him_ Him? _That_ Him? So the rumors were true?"

"Yeah, that one," Luke clarified. "The rumors are true."

"Which Him?" I cut in, irritated. "That's about half of the world's population you're referring to."

"The big one," Luke explained. That definitely cleared things up.

"Thanks." I gave Luke a smile that was more of a grimace. "That helped a lot."

"Sorry, but names have power," Luke said, shrugging. "Saying his name right now would draw too much attention to us. Right now, we need to be undercover. Until we get to Camp, anyway." Great. Another vague noun.

"Speaking of undercover, aren't people going to notice the hole in the door?" I asked, gesturing to the large gap in the sliding glass doors and the shards of material on the floor.

"Oh, no problem." Mitchell waved his hand carelessly. "With me here, accidents like this happen all the time in this town. It's normal. The mortals are used to it."

I shrugged, perplexed at how people could become 'used to accidents.'

Finding an awkward silence descending on our group, I spoke up. "When does the next bus come?"

"Oh shoot!" Mitchell slapped his hand to his forehead. "At eight thirty. Fifteen minutes! I completely forgot!"

In a hurry, Luke and I sprung out of our sleeping bags and started stuffing everything into our backpacks as fast as we could. Mitchell stood next to us, asking over and over if there was anything he could do.

"You need any complimentary food? I can spare you some," he offered.

"No we're fine," Luke replied, in the middle of stuffing his sleeping bag in his backpack. "Just gotta get this bad boy in…side…Come on…get in…"

"Don't forget this," Mitchell said, bending down to pick up the jar of salve he'd used on Luke's wound. "You need to keep applying it for at least a week. This will also help treat all other poisonous wounds."

"Thanks." Luke managed to shove the rest of his sleeping bag in and accepted the jar after zipping his backpack up.

Mitchell hurried over to the checkout counter, beckoning us over as he did. "You need to get your bus tickets real quick. Now where's that bus supposed to take you?"

"Corbury." Luke unzipped the front pocket of his backpack, reaching inside for his wallet as Mitchell rummaged into the drawers of the counter.

"Here." The son of Apollo handed over a brochure with a map of New York that was lying underneath two small pieces of paper.

"How much?"

"Free of charge." Mitchell grinned. "Let's just say it's a farewell gift."

"No, I'll pay," Luke insisted. "You work long hours, remember?"

"Luke, they're just bus tickets. They're really cheap." Mitchell sighed. "I wish I could give you something better, but for now, that's all I've got. I'm not accepting any money, so take it."

Reluctantly, Luke agreed. He gave one of the tickets to me and kept the brochure and the other ticket in his hand.

As if on cue, we heard the faint roar of an engine outside. Mitchell widened his eyes. "Oh, it's here!" He turned to run outside, going to tell the bus to wait for us while Luke put his wallet away.

After Luke shoved his wallet into his backpack, he reached into his pocket to pull out a couple of gold coins.

"Drachmas," he explained, without even having to look at me. "Greek currency."

"Cool," I replied, for once not having any questions. Luke placed the coins on the counter, then looked at me.

"Don't tell him," Luke instructed. He smiled. "Not until we're far enough away so that Mitchell can't come after us to return the money."

"I won't," I promised.

"Luke! Annabeth! Hurry up!" We heard Mitchell's voice booming through the door.

"Let's go!" I shouldered my backpack and hurried out the door, Luke at my heels. After a sad goodbye with Mitchell, we boarded the bus and we were off to the next part of adventures.

* * *

Mitchell stared at the bus as it receded into the distance, then with a heavy sigh, returned back into the store.

A glint of metal caught his eye at the checkout counter, and he couldn't help gasping. Drachmas? He hadn't had any for a long time, having spent all of it on Iris messages. No demigods had passed through the town, or at least if they did, they didn't show themselves.

"Safe travels, Luke and Annabeth." Mitchell had no doubt that it was they who had left the coins. He smiled. Looks like Luke had found a way to pay him, anyway. He should've expected a son of Hermes to do something like that. "May the gods protect you."


End file.
